The Last One
by Morkgirl
Summary: A major upheaval in Mork's life jeopardizes his relationship with Mindy, his new life on Earth, and leaves him questioning the reality of his very existence. *Note: I am back from a long sabbatical. I am doing this due to popular demand from some who have read my other stories. Please read those before reading this one to better understand the plot. Thanks for your support!
1. Chapter 1

The Last One

Part One

A flashlight beam slashed through the darkness. The team of explorers dressed in protective suits entered the room that had been walled off and separated from the rest of the damaged facility by a pane of glass, the silhouettes of thousands of bodies that appeared to be in a sleeping, reposed state surrounding them on all sides, floating on invisible anti-gravity beds.

"Who are they?" One of the explorers asked, his voice sounding tinny through his communication device inside his suit.

"I'm not sure," their leader said, shining the flashlight on them, examining them. "They appear to be perfectly preserved."

"Are any of them still alive?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not detecting any vital signs."

"What could be the purpose of this place? Was this a hospital of some kind, or a morgue?"

The leader looked around, shining her flashlight on the other immobile bodies. The room where they were kept was the only area of the building that seemed to have survived, remaining intact while the walls outside of it were crumbling in a state of decay and ruin, the building façade mostly a charred remnant, a skeleton of a former structure. Its contents were in various states of disarray, the lab equipment inside scattered and broken, in stages of corrosion and decrepitude. Massive, thick cobwebs formed in the corners, becoming entangled with each other until they formed a long, silken thread, dangling overhead.

"I don't know," she said. "Perhaps they were trying to preserve what was left of their race."

A low frequency, steady beeping erupted on one of their devices, barely audible at first.

"What's that?" One of the other team members asked.

The team member whose device activated followed the sound. It became progressively louder the closer he came to one of the bodies. Curious, he scanned the body, noticing unusually high spikes in the energy output whose origins he couldn't explain or identify.

"Uh Anna, you'd better get over here," he said to the team leader.

Anna approached, along with the rest of her team, standing over the body.

"What is it?" She asked.

The man holding the device frowned inside his suit. "I'm not sure," he said, "but I think this one is still alive. I'm getting an indication of some vital signs, although they're faint."

"How? He isn't breathing."

"That's what I can't understand. He's not breathing, and he doesn't have a pulse, but somehow…he's alive, unless my device is malfunctioning."

Anna studied the body closely. "I've heard of this," she said. "They've been experimenting with methods similar to it on Earth, as a possible answer to our population and habitable issues. It almost looks like cryogenics, but it's not. This appears to be some other highly advanced form of suspended animation. Perhaps I was right. Maybe they did use it to preserve what was left of their race before they were completely obliterated."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that it worked very well to save them," the man holding the device said. "This man appears to be the only one left alive."

"It would be wonderful if that were true," Anna said. "Think of what we could learn from him, about what happened here. Maybe we could prevent something similar from happening on our planet." She looked around at her team. "We have to find a way to revive him."

"If we're going to do it, we'll have to do it soon," the man holding the device said. "His vital signs are growing weaker. If we don't act soon, I'm afraid we'll lose him."

Anna sighed. "All right," she said, trying to concentrate. She looked at her team. "We are going to determine how to revive him, but we're going to have to act quickly. You heard what Brian said. The situation is urgent. I want each of you to work on finding a solution, and soon. I will not allow this being to die. We have to do everything in our power to save him. Is that understood?"

The others nodded silently in agreement.

"Good, now let's not hesitate any longer. Let's begin our work now."

She looked down at the alien, surprised by how humanlike he was. She wouldn't know him by name, not yet, but the unconscious body she stared at was Mork.


	2. Chapter 2

The Last One

Part Two

Planet Earth—several years earlier

"Orson calling Mork! Come in, Mork!" Orson bellowed inside Mork's mind, awaking him from his deep sleep.

"Orson, what is it?" Mork asked inside his mind. "What's wrong?"

"Ork is under attack!"

"What? By whom? Is it the Necrotons again?"

"No, unfortunately it is someone closer to home. One of our own people, to be precise."

"Who?"

"Several bleams ago, we wrongly incarcerated an innocent Orkan citizen and placed him in stasis. His name is Bluion. When we discovered our error, we promptly released and exonerated him, but apparently that was not enough to satisfy him. His time in stasis has warped him, turned him into a vengeful and angry Orkan, embittered over his experience. He has vowed a complete restructuring of Orkan civilization, a revolution. He organized his troops in secret, and his movement has gained momentum, and they have started a war, their numbers increasing as they have filled the streets of the capital city. They are storming the gates of Orkan High Command as we speak, demanding entrance. I am afraid I do not have much time. They are violent, and they mean business. They have a list of grievances and certain conditions which they want met."

"What kind of conditions?" Mork asked, not liking what he was hearing. Despite his usual flatness of tone, he could tell that Orson was concerned.

Orson sighed. "Mork, I must warn you. I am afraid your freedom on Earth is in danger," he said.

"Why? What does this Bluion want with me?"

"He was in stasis at the same time you were. He seems not pleased that you were released, since technically you did commit a crime and he did not. The fault, it seems, is mine. I'm sorry, Mork."

"But what does this mean? Is he coming after me? I'm on another planet now. I've started a new life. He can't just take me back to Ork."

"He can. He is already demanding your return as part of his new regime assuming power."

Mork paced frantically inside his mind. "Well then, I won't disappoint him," he said. "I'll come back, Sir, but to help you stop him. We can't allow him to take over and destroy Ork."

"I appreciate your bravery, but I am afraid I cannot ask you to do that. You belong on Earth now, safe with Mindy."

"How can I be safe when you said that he might be after me? How can I stay here when my home planet is in a state of upheaval? Sir, I've got to do something!"

"Yes you do, Mork. You have to remain on Earth, and allow us to handle the situation. It is none of your affair any longer."

Mork looked up at him in the darkness of his mind, deeply wounded. "I may live on Earth now, but I am still an Orkan," he said. "Sure, I disagree with how things are handled there sometimes too, but I won't allow everything that you've worked so hard for to be changed so radically, and by force. It isn't right."

"Of course it isn't, but I am asking you to remain there. Despite all of Bluion's threats, it is the safest place for you. I cannot ask you to intervene."

"I can't stay here and stand by helplessly while my planet is destroyed, either," Mork said. "Sir, I refuse to allow that to happen!"

"Now Mork, I know this is difficult for you since you are a Defective, but you must be reasonable. I cannot…" his voice cut out abruptly.

"What? Orson, I can't hear you," Mork said.

"Mork…"

He heard shouting in the distance, echoing in his mind. It was followed by shattering glass and the sound of heavy items being overturned and broken, followed by the scuffling of feet.

"Orson!" Mork shouted. "Orson, come in! Can you hear me? What's happening? Orson!"

The connection to his mind went dead, and Mork regained full consciousness, sitting up in bed, his body soaked in sweat, his eyes wide in panic.

"What is it?" Mindy asked, his motions waking her. She saw how terrified he was, his body rigidly erect and alert, his hands clenching in tight fists. She reached up and gently stroked his back, surprised by how stiff it was. "Did you have another nightmare or flashback again?"

Mork appeared not to notice her, staring blankly into the distance.

"Mork," she said calmly, still stroking his back. "It's all right, I'm right here. Talk to me, please."

Gradually, he became aware of her. When he looked at her, it almost frightened her, his eyes void of expression, his complexion ghastly pale.

"We have to get out of here," he said.

"Why?" Mindy asked, watching him, wondering if he was fully awake or reliving a traumatizing memory.

Occasionally, she would find him sleepwalking, repeating in his dreams some terrifying event that had happened to him in the past. She would tenderly approach him, guiding him back to bed. She wondered if he needed some guidance back to reality and consciousness now, confused by his strange behavior.

"Orson called me in my sleep," he said, finally blinking. He looked down at Mindy and took her hand, squeezing it, tears in his eyes.

"What is it, Mork? Did something happen?"

Mork nodded. "You could say that," he said. "My planet is at war. It's under attack."

"What?"

"What makes it worse is, the enemy is one of our own people. He started a revolution, and he wants me recalled to Ork."

"To fight in the revolution?"

"No. To put me back in stasis for my crimes."

"He can't do that to you!" Mindy said, her eyes widening in alarm. "Mork, you can't let that happen!"

"I know. That's why we have to leave right this minute and hide somewhere where he can't find me." He got out of bed, packing his silver suitcase. "Come on, get your things. We've got to go."

"Go where?"

"I don't know. Just anywhere but here."

"Wait a second Mork," Mindy said, watching him. "We can't just leave. I mean, how can you be sure he even knows where you are?"

"He'll find out, if he hasn't already."

"But how is hiding going to solve anything? Shouldn't we contact Dr. Feldman? Maybe he and the rest of the government officials you work with can help protect you."

Mork shook his head. "No offense Mindy, but your defense systems aren't advanced enough yet," he said. "They aren't capable or equipped to handle an alien invasion. It would be better not to involve them and create some kind of interplanetary incident. I don't want this to escalate beyond Ork, especially because of what it would mean for you. I don't want to see you in any danger."

Mindy got out of bed, approaching him and leaning on his shoulder. "But _you're_ in danger," she said. "What happens if they find you?"

Mork looked at her. "Then I'll give myself up peacefully if that means that they'll leave you and Earth alone," he said. "But that's not going to happen, I promise. We'll hide out until Orson contacts me and tells me that the danger has passed."

Mindy looked around their bedroom sadly. "But when is that going to be?" She asked. "How long will we have to hide?"

Mork looked at her, wishing he could provide her with some kind of reassurance, something that would comfort her. He sighed, more tears in his eyes.

"I don't know," he said.

They drove to a secluded mountain cabin that belonged to one of her friends.

"Dave said we could use this place for as long as we wanted to," she said, unfolding a quilt from the closet onto the bed. "I told him we needed a vacation, since I think the concept of an alien invasion would be a little beyond his grasp right now."

Mork stared out the window into the night. They were surrounded by acres of pine forest, not another person or sign of civilization visible for miles. A roaring fire in the fireplace reflected in the glass.

"You know, it's ironic," he said. "It's not as if I like everything the current Orkan administration represents, either. After all, they outlawed emotions and any expression of pleasure, physical or otherwise. It's not a way to live, but at least it allowed us to flourish for thousands of bleams and live in relative peace. Until now, that is. For years I've advocated change myself, but I never wanted anything violent like this to happen."

Mindy spread the quilt on the bed, smoothing it out. "Mork, please tell me what happened," she said. "What exactly did Orson tell you?"

Mork turned to look at her, an anguished expression on his face that hadn't left him since he first learned about the events on his own planet.

"When I was in stasis, there was another man in the chamber with me sharing a similar fate," he said. "Except this man wasn't a criminal. A mistake put him there, some kind of clerical error, I guess. Well, when the superiors found out about it, they released him, but the effects of being in stasis warped and twisted his mind, made him angry and hostile. I told you that some Orkans do not leave stasis with their sanity intact. That I somehow managed to is a miracle. Being deprived of your body and being trapped in your mind can do strange things to you. Anyway, somehow he was able to mobilize forces against the current regime, and they are planning to overthrow the government. Once they do, they will probably hunt me down and try to take me back to Ork, placing me back in stasis."

"But why? Is it because he believes you deserve to be punished?"

"Yes. You forget that technically on Ork, I _did_ commit a crime. I have emotions and I expressed them publicly. I also had an intimate relationship for a time with an Orkan woman, as you know. I should be in prison right now, if it hadn't been for Orson's mercy."

"So he wants revenge against you?"

"You could say that," a disembodied voice said, echoing through the cabin.

"What was that?" Mindy asked, looking at Mork in horror. "Did you hear that?"

Mork nodded, pressing his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet.

A form materialized in front of them, flanked by several others. As they came into clearer focus, they could tell they were Orkans, dressed in the familiar red and silver jumpsuits. The one in front of all the others appeared to be the leader. He was about Mork's height, a bearish man with an almost bullet-shaped head crowed by a mass of hair. He pointed some kind of weapon at Mork.

"Wow, that was quick," Mork said. "What did you do, take the Express?"

"Your inane humor will not help you out of this situation," Bluion said. "You know that for many bleams Ork has been working on a teleportation device. I just decided to appropriate it for just such an occasion for my own purposes."

"You're Bluion," Mork said.

"That's right, and you're coming with me back to Ork where you belong."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Mork said, standing in front of Mindy to protect her. "I live on Earth now. I have nothing to do with your revolution."

"You have _everything_ to do with it," Bluion said. "You're the reason it started. You see Mork, I overheard what the superiors decided to do for you while I was in stasis. Can you imagine the torment I must have endured? Knowing that you, a known criminal, was being released while I had to suffer inside a frozen body, innocent of all the charges against me?"

"I am sorry for what happened to you, but it wasn't my fault. It wasn't my decision to be released."

"Yes it was. I know that they offered you a choice. How nice for you. I wasn't offered the same choice. I had to suffer for several more bleams before they figured out their mistake while you were allowed to explore the universe freely. What I want to know is, is that _fair_ to you, Mork? Is that justice? What makes you so special? What gives you that right, that privilege, when you've broken the law and I haven't?"

"Look," Mork said, raising his hand. "I don't like the Orkan system of justice any more than you do, but violence isn't the solution."

Bluion smirked. " _You_ don't like the Orkan justice system?" He asked derisively. "It seems to have worked out pretty well for you."

"All I'm saying is that I agree with you on a fundamental level. I do believe Ork needs to change, to be more tolerant. I just don't think that we'll ever get there by force."

"I don't know, Mork. I find force to be quite effective."

He aimed a hand device at Mork, flashing it at him, causing him to fall into unconsciousness, crumpling at his feet.

"No!" Mindy shouted, rushing forward.

Before she could reach Mork, Bluion grinned, freezing time. He looked at his men.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get him back to prison where he belongs."


End file.
